`Shahbagh movement beacon of hope for South Asia`

New Delhi: Bangladesh`s Shahbagh movement was hailed at a meeting here with speakers saying it was a beacon of hope for South Asia at a time when the region is witnessing the rise of communal mobilizations.

At the seminar, `Mainstream` editor Sumit Chakravarty underlined the historic significance of the Shahbagh movement initiated by youth bloggers wherein thousands of people hit the streets of Dhaka demanding strict punitive action against war criminals and their organizations, including Jamaat-e- Islami.

He said Shahbagh Movement stands apart as an unique and ground-breaking venture.

"This movement is qualitatively and politically far more mature than, say, movements which arose from the womb of Tahrir square," he said.

The seminar was organized by `New Socialist Initiative`, which is a newly emergent platform of the Left.

Noor Zaheer, famous author and activist, said one should not limit self to comprehend the struggle at the level of trial of war criminals only.

"In fact, the youth who has been joined by great masses of the people have understood that what lies in future for them if they do not fight fundamentalist forces who are trying to impose a very bigoted view in running of the government.

"People have become conscious that if the religious extremist forces are not dealt with then future of women and future of minorities would be quite bleak," Zaheer said.